6 month old sleep.......help

deh983

Hi all.
Apologies in advance for another sleep question but I am at wits end now.
6 month old has never been great sleeper. Was better at night than during the day but naps have improved over last few weeks. She has 3 a day usually 2 1.5 hour & 1 short one in the evening. But the problem now is she wakes during the night forbup to an hour & half full of the joys chatting away wide awake. She's not hungry cold hot dirty nappy etc. just wide awake.

Has anyone else experienced this & what can we do???

fits

It's normal. It's a phase and it will pass. It sounds like she sleeps pretty well and I'm sure the long night waking sessions will end soon.

Lucuma

I hate the 3 nap phase, it's an awkward one. Hopefully soon you'll settled into a nap at around 10am and a nap at around 3pm, much easier to manage!

catrionanic

Ah deh, I'm so sorry you're struggling with this! Sleep deprivation is the absolute worst. As you know, my wee fella has been an awful sleeper but just this last fortnight (he turned 7 months a few days ago), he has improved massively. Hopefully your little girl might do the same soon.

Sometimes we have him waking up for an hour or two, full of the joys like you said. I haven't found a solution really, but I do find that it helps to keep the room lights off and not change his nappy and not talk to him - basically to avoid anything which might make him more stimulated. Does she often wake up at the same time and do this? It sounds like she sleeps a lot in the day... I wonder could she be napping a bit too much?

Does this happen just once in the night, or are there other wakeups too? Could you and the husband share the load a little then, just in the short-term to get you through? We are only up once a night now so it's very manageable, but when he was up 4-6 times (on average), I used to do all the wakeups but my husband would get up for the day with him around 6.30 and I'd lie on until he left for work around 8.30. At that stage, the wee man was ready for another nap so sometimes I even slept a little more then too. This really helped with my mental health. On the days when my husband didn't get up with him and I didn't get that extra couple of hours sleep, I really felt like I was losing it.

Lucuma

Also she will get established on solids soon, and I saw a marked improvement in night time sleeping with no.2 when she got established on solids (which didn't happen til around 8 months +)

spiritnsoul

My son was the same. It passed and no problems now. Just a temp blip

deh983

Thanks all for your replies. I know (hope) it's just a phase but was just wondering if anyone else had gone through it.

Catrionaic I thought those naps were about right for her age but yesterday she only had 2 & slept better last night. It all depends on the time she wakes from her second nap really. What is your little man sleeping during the day??

catrionanic

deh983 wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies. I know (hope) it's just a phase but was just wondering if anyone else had gone through it.

Catrionaic I thought those naps were about right for her age but yesterday she only had 2 & slept better last night. It all depends on the time she wakes from her second nap really. What is your little man sleeping during the day??

TBH our day naps are really variable, but even on a good day he doesn't sleep for as many hours in total as your little one seems to. Naps vary from 30 mins to 2 hours. He probably averages around 2.5-3 hours across the 3 naps. But today he's only had 1.5 hours. He may take another 30 mins shortly, then go down around 7.30 or 8.

deh983

catrionanic wrote: »

TBH our day naps are really variable, but even on a good day he doesn't sleep for as many hours in total as your little one seems to. Naps vary from 30 mins to 2 hours. He probably averages around 2.5-3 hours across the 3 naps. But today he's only had 1.5 hours. He may take another 30 mins shortly, then go down around 7.30 or 8.

That's the exact day we had today. Hour & 15 this morning 30 mins in afternoon & 30 mins in car just now coz I had to get out of House!!!

yummymummyjay

I would definitely say try to establish a more definite nap routine. 1 morning 1 midday nap and do everything in your power to stretch out the evening to keep baby awake. A very set bath and bed routine I've found has helped with my kids too!

deh983

yummymummyjay wrote: »

I would definitely say try to establish a more definite nap routine. 1 morning 1 midday nap and do everything in your power to stretch out the evening to keep baby awake. A very set bath and bed routine I've found has helped with my kids too!

Thanks I have been trying to sort the naps for at least 3 months now. There is no pattern or consistency to her at all. Some days she sleeps great & the next it goes to pot from the off.
To be honest it's affecting everything my mood my relationship my 3 year olds mood everything.

Today she'd had 2 naps before 2 & was a whinging mess by 4.

I just can't figure it out at all

yummymummyjay

deh983 wrote: »

Thanks I have been trying to sort the naps for at least 3 months now. There is no pattern or consistency to her at all. Some days she sleeps great & the next it goes to pot from the off.
To be honest it's affecting everything my mood my relationship my 3 year olds mood everything.

Today she'd had 2 naps before 2 & was a whinging mess by 4.

I just can't figure it out at all

Aw god it can be so hard. Maybe try putting her down awake
Same time every day. Do things that will signal naptime. Darken room. Mobile? Favourite cuddly toy. My little boy has a blankie he rubs on his cheek. My elder two had bunnies. It might be hard for a while but eventually they will get the message. It's so tough but if you can get that down I always found everuthing else would fall into place

deh983

yummymummyjay wrote: »

Aw god it can be so hard. Maybe try putting her down awake
Same time every day. Do things that will signal naptime. Darken room. Mobile? Favourite cuddly toy. My little boy has a blankie he rubs on his cheek. My elder two had bunnies. It might be hard for a while but eventually they will get the message. It's so tough but if you can get that down I always found everuthing else would fall into place

Thanks for your replies.
We have a short routine for naps & night where she gets in her sleeping bag etc. I think I'm falling down in the awake time. I can't quite get that right. She used to be bang on 2 hours but can now go a bit longer I just don't know how long.

yummymummyjay

deh983 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies.
We have a short routine for naps & night where she gets in her sleeping bag etc. I think I'm falling down in the awake time. I can't quite get that right. She used to be bang on 2 hours but can now go a bit longer I just don't know how long.

My youngest is almost 5.5 months and for example today he woke about 6.30 am... he always has an early nap at about 9.30 or 10am for roughly an hour. Then at 1 he has his main nap he'll be asleep for almost 2 hours. If we are at home that will be him until evening time he'll go down about 7.30 after his bath etc. If I'm out and about he will inevitably fall asleep in the car but it doesn't effect the routine too much hell just go asleep maybe half an hour later. They can stay awake much longer than ya might think. The bath in the evening is my tool to keep him awake a tiny bit longer but also tire him out even more haha if that makes sense

deh983

yummymummyjay wrote: »

My youngest is almost 5.5 months and for example today he woke about 6.30 am... he always has an early nap at about 9.30 or 10am for roughly an hour. Then at 1 he has his main nap he'll be asleep for almost 2 hours. If we are at home that will be him until evening time he'll go down about 7.30 after his bath etc. If I'm out and about he will inevitably fall asleep in the car but it doesn't effect the routine too much hell just go asleep maybe half an hour later. They can stay awake much longer than ya might think. The bath in the evening is my tool to keep him awake a tiny bit longer but also tire him out even more haha if that makes sense

See she never sleeps for 2 hours. 1.5 hours is the most I've ever gotten from her. Is your little man in good form then when he's up? She just seems to whinge all the time & im presuming it's from tiredness. Maybe it's not when I see your routine now.

missvicky

I went through the same thing at around the 6 month mark, my little one was always a fantastic sleeper but found she woke 2 or 3 times during the night for some fun. I cut out her late afternoon nap so her routine was up at 6.30/7am and she always took her long nap at about 11 for 2.5/3hrs , took awhile to get her used to not having a late nap so she'd be a mess come evening time but she started sleeping through then. I also got one of those projection mobiles that has the lullabies and white noise,it worked a treat,even now at 2 she won't settle without it.

yummymummyjay

deh983 wrote: »

See she never sleeps for 2 hours. 1.5 hours is the most I've ever gotten from her. Is your little man in good form then when he's up? She just seems to whinge all the time & im presuming it's from tiredness. Maybe it's not when I see your routine now.

Yeah hes in good form. You might just need to fiddle around with the times to see which fits her best. Maybe instead of the little and often naps she needs waaay less frequent but longer nap. Other than that I'm not sure 😂😂 its tough going hopefully you'll figure it out

yummymummyjay

The whinging could just be teething. That's the only time my little guy whinges. Tiny bit of calgel and his dody sorts that out

deh983

yummymummyjay wrote: »

Yeah hes in good form. You might just need to fiddle around with the times to see which fits her best. Maybe instead of the little and often naps she needs waaay less frequent but longer nap. Other than that I'm not sure 😂😂 its tough going hopefully you'll figure it out

Yep I know myself she needs longer just can't get her to take them!!
Put her down awake today & left the room & she conked for 1.5 & 1 hour so that'll do her for today & see how night goes.

shesty

I had 21 months between my pair and the struggle to get the napping balance right was tough.Compounded by the fact that both were 40 min catnappers.My older was sleeping one big midday nap by the time no.2 came, but I had been through the 40min thing with her.I just had to set a really strong routine in place.At 6 months she would do 30/40 mins round 9am or so, then that was it....we were off out somewhere.She would go back round 12 and because no.1 went to sleep then too, I was often able to stretch that nap.She would stir after 40mins, but i would go in and hold her hand for a bit and she'd sleep another 40-ish mins.Then back again round 4, for a hard-fought 30/40mins, often taken in the sling while I cooked.It was tough but I had to clock watch.2-2.5 hours since she last woke, she was heading back to her cot.It takes a bit to get them in that rhythm but they do get there.No.1 suddenly stretched her naps (miraculously!!) When she was six mths olds....she went to 1.5 hours morning and afternoon
Downside-her day started round 5:30am😨 No
2 struggled on with 40min naps til almost 9 mths when I eventually gave up on the 4pm nap, and after a few weeks of hell, she stretched to about 1.5 hrs morning and afternoon.Dropped the morning nap round 15.5 mths, and now at 17 mths does approx 2 hours round 11:30/midday.She is dead on her feet by 6:30pm and sleeps til round 7:30 most mornings.

I discovered along the line that the only thing I could consistently control was the routine so I did that.Out in the morning, mostly (not always)in in the afternon.Early bedtime, same routine every night, and any night wakings (and they did happen)....I went in and resettled every ten mins or so, no lights, or chat, or anything like that.They take a hint.And generally the tireder they are the worst they sleep during the day.It's a total pain.